The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-01-12

for with ma on one side and pa on the
other, | am wearing away like a con
sumptive. Pa is an awful popular man.
He says il is proved by the important
Offices he holds. He is deacon of the
church, leader in prayer-meeting, door
keeper in the knights of Honor, an
alderman and street commissioner. The
business of these last three offices has to
be attended to at night Pa says it
jirks his heart-strings to leave his dear
family seven nights in a week, but his
position demands il and he is a martyr
for the sake of the public good. Ma
says this is all ''stuff," and pa looks
uneasy when ma questions him about
what goes or at the meetings, and tells
him his breath smells like mixture of
parched coffee and dred pepper.
When the Knights of Honor had their
big charity ball down at Slylick, pa said
he wanted TO go. Ma said he would go
down there and spend more money than
he had any business. Pa told ner to say
no more, and he would take little book
along and set down everything be spent,
and give her all he brought back. This
seemed to please ma, for pa bad twenty
FIVE dollars, and said it would not take
no more than half that for his expenses
When pa was gone ma told sis, if pa
brought as much as ten dollars back she
bet she wore a bonnet next Sunday
sight finer than Mrs Highf1yer's
new one. Pa staid two days over his
time, and came home without a cent.
tie was so sick and broke up, with the
duties his popularity brought on him
he said that ma did net have the heart
to upbraid him. Pa did not go out for
nearly week, but lay on the lounge in
mas room and talked of the comforts
and blessings of home until ma would
wipe her eyes with her apron. Pa
showed ma the little book with every
thing set down. He had 10 pay big
prices for meals, and extra for coffee, he
had to paw dollar for one pocket hand
kerchief and two and half to get his
boot mended. Ma said she thought his
boots were new, but he said they ripped
anyway Ma said she did not see why
the Knights of Honor selected place
for their ball where everything was so
dear. Pa said they would not get his
money next time; he would stay away
and they would miss him, too, for he
was so popular.
Things were mighty pleasant, and
might have remained so if it had not
been for me. Pa got well and went
down town. Ma sent me to the drug
store for half pound of black pepper.
Pa was standing with his back to me,
talking with stranger and laughing hit
to kill | kinder walked slow, when |
heard pa say he knew Slylick was the
cheapest place he ever struck; if it
hadn't been, he would have been "strap-
ped" two days before he was. How,
with the buggy rides, French teas"
and "operas," he carried the girls to,
he just did have money enough to get
home. When | got back with the pep
per ma was abusing the people of sly
lick with a sharpness of three .day-old
cider. She said they were just next to
robbers, to take the money from Il poor,
hard working man that WAS needed for
the support of his family. She had that
same old bonnet to wear, although she
had been down to the milliner's and
picked out the very one she wanted.
Now, if there is anything | hate, it is to
hear people abused behind their backs.
| felt indignant and spoke up and says,
"Ma, you are mistaken, for | just heard
pa say they were the best and kindest
people he ever met. He says he had
five buggy rides, carried three different
girls to the opera, drank more wine,
smoked the best cigars and had bigger
time than any man there" When he
settled up he was four dollars and sixty
three cents behind, and the proprietor
gave him receipt in full. Now that is
what / call doing the handsome thing by
a man, if he is a stranger" Ii bomb
from a Chicago Anarchist had fell aud
busted right in the room, ma wouldn't
have looked any worse. is that so,
Ja-key~ says ma. Yes, nam, says |.
81 hope you think better of the Slylick
people now, ma" Better of the peo-
pie, but worse of your pa, Jakey," says
ma. Then she began sitting the chairs
ba against the wall, pushed the center
table into the corner of the room, and
seemed busy preparing for something
did not know what. | suddenly
thought it time to go to school.
When | came home at dinner the first
thing | saw was pa coming round the
corner of the house in big hurry. He
did not have on any hat; one suspendel
was gone, aud he looked tired and weak.
He seemed fresh from the field of ac-
ton. There appeared to be no agree
ment of commanders, and he was in full
retreat, but the flag of truce about
quarter of yard behind him futtered
TO the breeze. When his eye fell on me
he seemed to realize the situation.
With one hand he staid the waning
strength of his last and fast weakening
suspender, while with the other he deft-
ly furled the flag and tucked it out of
sight, and gently called my name. To
me the tone seemed more ominous than
the rumbliDg sounds of Mount Vesuvius.
followed as he turned his steps toward
the wood-shed, for | saw the sudden
light of the firm determination playing
over his countenance and knew my COM
pany was necessity. Here we will let
the curtain fall, my beloved diary.
Your sweet presence has done much to
soothe and alleviate tbe sufferings of a
broken heart. But find the stingipg
effects of a well welded shiDgle ever
present with me. For the present will
say, goodbye. JAKEY.